How to avoid electrical hazards while repairing equipment using OSHA safety precautions

Shock caused by electrical accident could range from mere tingle to death due to electrocution. Electricity has become a part of our daily life that we take it for granted. Simple precaution will greatly help in preventing fatal incidents due to electrocution. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, otherwise known as OSHA, has brought out a publication on “Controlling Electrical Hazards” which provides precautionary steps to take during electrical work. 

The three factors that cause electrical accidents are:

1. Equipment that are unsafe for use
2. Electrical accident prone work environment
3. Work practices without any precaution

OSHA discusses about the various protection steps that are to be taken to safe-guard from electrical hazards. While repairing a faulty high voltage consuming electrical equipment. Professional Engineer Exam Review skims through OSHA safety topics in your refresher class.

Make sure to switch off the power source: The main power source for the equipment should be switched off even if it is a low voltage power supply. This makes sure that there are no electrical accidents while doing maintenance work.

Check for insulations: Make sure that there are no faulty insulation errors in the electrical wiring. Please ensure all insulation tapes correctly adhered to electrical wire splicing.

Check if Insulation on conductors are properly color coded: The grounding conductors are solid green or green with yellow stripes. Make sure the wires that are conductors and non-conductors of electricity are properly differentiated as per their color code such as black or red for “hot wires” and green white or gray for grounding wires. Professional Engineering Exam Review Course gives the aspirant exam takers a quick scan of safety issues related to electrical hazards and ways to prevent those. 

Check for exposed electrical devices are guarded: Make sure to cover up the exposed electrical equipment parts with protective covers to prevent incidents in project site.  

Check for grounding of Electrical equipment: Make sure proper grounding is provided to reduce the risk of electrical hazards. When equipment are well grounded this creates a low-resistance path which connects it to the earth. Earth is a non-conductor thus limits the risk of electric hazards. PE Exam Review gives an overview of how grounding reduces electrical risk. 

Check for proper circuit protection devices: It would be helpful to use circuit protection devices such as fuses, circuit breakers, ground-fault circuit interrupters and arc-fault circuit interrupters. These devices on event of too much current flow would break the circuit. These devices are designed to protect the conductors and equipment.  

In Conclusion: While doing maintenance work with high voltage equipment, it is important to follow the above steps to ensure a safe maintenance work. By knowing the OSHA safety regulations we can prevent electrical incidents on project sites. PE Exam Review Course helps aspirants to get ready for the PE Exam by providing a review on all important topics.